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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. L. WEIMER.

HOISTING TOWER FOR BLAST FURNACES. No. 300,175. Patented June 10, 1884,

N. PETERS. Pmm-Lithom han-wmm im. n.c.

(No Model.) vs. Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. L. WEIMER.

HOISTING TOWER FOR BLAST- FURNACES. No. 300,175. PatentedJun'e 10,1884.v

My, 6 d4 T/VESQES (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. L. WEIMER.

1101mm TOWER FOR BLAST FURNACES.

No. 300,175. Patented June 10, 1884.

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WIT IVESSES N. PETERS, Phulo'ulhngnpber. wishm m. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcs.

PETER L. \VEIMER, OF LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOlSTlNG-TOWER FOR BLAST-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,175, dated June 10, 1884.

Application filed May 2, 1884. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER L. WEIMER, of Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoisting-Towers for Blast-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in hoisting-towers, adapted more particularly for use in elevating material for blast-furnaces; and it consists in the parts and combinations of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved hoist or elevator. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the manner of mounting the pulley-wheels, and Fig. 4c is a View in transverse section of one of the columns. I

This improved tower is composed of four iron columns, A, of such shape and materialv as best suits my purpose. In the construction of the columns composing the towers, I

' prefer to employ two pieces of channel or angle iron, a, for the sides of the column, and two pieces of flat plate-iron, b, for the front and back, as shown in Fig. 4, the said plates a and I; being provided at suitable intervals apart with countersunk openings, in which the heads and ends of the rivets c are secured, so not to offer any impediment to the free movement of the carriage-wheels. To the lower end of each of the columns thus constructed I rivet a suitable base-casting or foot, and at the upper end a suitable cap-casting. The four columns are then placed on a foundation in the form of a parallelogram and incline them inwardly from the ends of the parallelogram at the top, which usually forms a square the sides of which are equal to the width of the base. By this arrangement the columns form the tracks or guides on which the cars or carriages of the hoist move; and as the columns on the same side of thetower are parallel the outer edges or faces of the said secured to the carriage move for the purpose of preventing any lateral movement of the said carriages. The four columns are stayed with lateral and diagonal braces and ties c in such a manner as to form a stiff and strong tower, which latter supports the carriage or carriage and counter-weight, as the case may be. The carriages O are made of sufficient size to perform the duty required of them, and are each provided with four wheels, D D, on each side. Four of these wheels, D, run against the outer faces of the columns; and the other four, which are journaled in the arms 6, rest against a flange of the channeled pieces which form the sides of the columns. By this arrangement the carriages are firmly secured to the tower against lateral dis placement, but are free to move up and down. Atoothed rack, f, is also secured to the outer faces of each column, with which pawls g,

pivoted to the carriages, are adapted to engage if the hoisting-ropes should be broken. The carriages are preferably shaped as shown, and are each provided with a safety-rail, h, which latter forms a guard for the workman while ascending and descending, and for the trucks or barrows into which the material is loaded.' The carriages are braced in any approved manner, and are connected together by three ropes or cables, E, which latter are attached, equidistant apart, to the inner edge of each carriage; and hence when one carriage descends the weight thereof assists the other carriage in ascending. The ropes E pass over the pulleys F F, which latter are mounted in suitable bearings situated on the top of the tower. Each rope has its respective pulley, and the central rope passes over the wheel F, which latter revolves in fixed bearings. The end ropes pass over theend pulleys, F, and the latter, instead of being mounted in fixed bearings, are mounted in verticallymovable bearings, by means of which I am enabled to compensate for inequalities in the length of the ropes, and also enabled to prevent the ropes from bearing unequal proportions of the load. It would be a practical impossibility to have all three of these carryingropes of equal length, so as to carry equal 50 columns form guidesmgainstwhich the wheels weight; and hence I make the end pulleys 10o vertically adjustable and weight them to withstand each one-third of the entire weight of the carriages and load. The three wheels are independent, and are journaled in bearings situated at the upper ends of the castings H. The bearings for the central pulley are, as before stated, stationary, while the bearings h, in which the end pulleys are journaled, are adapted to move vertically in the elongated bearings 13. These bearings rest on the blocks I, the lower ends of which latter rest on the short ends of the levers J These two levers are bifurcated at their inner ends, so as to partly embrace their respective pulleys, and are pivoted to the castings which form supports for the pulley-bearings. The free or long ends of these levers, which may or may not be graduated, form rests for the weights L, which latter are adapted to be moved toward or away from the bearings, so as to hold the movable pulleys elevated to withstand a predetermined pressure or weight. WVhen the pressure is exceeded, the pulleys descend and throw the excess of pressure onto the other pulleys. If, for instance, the side ropes should be of unequal lengths, the shorter one would under ordinary circumstances be required to bear the greater portion of the weight; but where the pulleys are vertically adjustable the one over which the shorter rope passes will descend and throw the excess of pressure onto the other pulleys. For the sake of illustration, say, the two carriages weigh nine thousand pounds. I then connterbalance each of the two outside pulleys to carry three thousand pounds, leaving a like duty for the central rope. I am by this arrangement sure that each rope carries only its proportionate part of the load. For hotel service, where only one carriage is used, the opposite end of each of the three ropes is attached to the counter-weight. It will thus be seen that I have amply provided ropes to carry the dead-weight, which is at times from four to six times the weight of the load to be lifted. In rope elevators the dead-weight, as well as the weight to be moved, vis all carried by one hoisting-rope, and giving it such a severe duty as to render renewals frequent, besides the open question of accident from fractured ropes. For the actual duty of hoisting the load, I employ a tail-rope-that is, I fasten to the bottom of each carriage a rope which passes downwardly and under suitably-placed pulleys, M, and up around the hoisting-drum N which latter is rigidly secured to the shaft 0, and operated by any suitable power. By this means, by pulling down the empty carriage, I raise the loaded one, and so on continuously.

XVhile the tail-rope has been used for along time as a means of safety, that one carriage may not ascend unless the other descends, I am the first to employ two, three, or more carrying-ropes arranged with counter-weights, and using the tail-rope for the double purpose of hoisting the load and insuring the ascent and descent of the carriages. In the present instance I employ two tail ropes. One of these, however, is only an idle running rope, carrying no weight whatever, and only will come into action in case the pulley-rope should break. These tail-ropes are attached to the carriages with the usual devices for actuating the pawls in case the ropes should break. The pulleys at the top of the tower are also provided with teeth m, into which pawls n engage and prevent the said wheels from running back and dropping the loaded carriage, in case of a fractured rope.

It is evident that numerous changes in the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention; and hence I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact construction shown and described, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a car or carriage,

of a non-adjustable pulley, automatically adjustable pulleys situated on opposite sides of the non-adjustable pulley, and ropes connected to the car or carriage and passing over the pulleys, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a car or carriage and a counter-balance, of a non-adjustable pulley, automatically-adjustahle pulleys situated on opposite sides of the non-adj ustable pulley, ropes connecting the carriage and a counter balance and passing over the pulleys, and tail.- ropes connecting the carriage and counter-bal- .ance and connected to a drum, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a carriage and counter-balance and two or more ropes connecting the carriage and counter=balance and passing over pulleys, of a tail-rope connecting the carriage and counter-balance and secured to a winding-drum, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a carriage, a counter-balance, and a rope connecting the carriage and counter-balance and passing over a pulley, of a tail-rope and-a safety tail-rope, both of which are connected to the carriage and counter-balance and to a driving-drum, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination, with a tower having tracks or guides formed on opposite sides thereof, of carriages moving on said guides or tracks, a rope connecting said carriages and passing over a pulley located at the top of the tower, a tail-rope connecting the carriages and passing under pulleys located at or near the base of the tower, and a drum around which the tail-rope winds.

6. The combination, with a tower and the carriages secured to the said tower, as depulleys, and a tail-rope connecting the car-- riages and winding around a driving-drum, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the tower, the

pulleys located thereon, and the levers and weights for holding two of the pulleys elevated in a yielding manner, of the carriages, ropes connecting the carriages and passing over the pulleys, a taiLrope connecting the carriages, and a winding-drum to which the tail-rope is connected, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witncsses.

PETER L. WEIMER.

Witnesses:

B. F. HARPEL, TOBIAS REINOEHL. 

